Out of the box, baseball 2k5 puts you right in the game as if you're watching it on ESPN. The presentation and commentary by John Miller and Joe Morgan is on the money. The menu system is deep but can be complex and confusing at times. There are many different options, in some cases maybe too many. This game is a stats galore. This is probably the most detailed sporting game I've seen when it comes to player stats and attributes. Everything you want to know about a particular player is at your fingertips and makes it easy for trades and signings. Franchise and GM career mode is a dream come true. You can take full control of a team including it's Minor league teams. Bring up, send back down players, scout out talent, etc... the works. You can hire/fire coaches to train your players better and see progression over the course of a season. But along with all these numbers comes a list full of bugs/glitches in the GM and franchise mode. Stats may update but the awards like player of the week, hot/cold hitter etc do not update properly if you play the games individually. You have to simulate through a few games to get it to work. And unfortunately that's a big dock in points. There are tons of pass balls when runners are on base and you have to play with the AI sliders to fix this and even then it's not a guarantee fix. Graphically, most players look like the real thing but some players I scratch my head. The animations overall are very fluid and lifelike but there are moments such as fielding in certain situations that the players act herky jerky, and it's pretty obvious. This is why I do not give it a 10. The stadiums very well designed and true to life. And throughout the games, I've noticed momentary pauses/screen freezes, especially after the 3rd out of each inning. From far the presentation looks great but when you zoom up close to certain players, the bodies just don't look right. My only gripe about the sound is the bat contact sound. It's the same for all types of hits. However, when you break a bat, you can hear a noticable break. The stadium sounds are real, with constant hecklers taunting the opposing team stars. Joe Morgan and John Miller give an accurate presentation but due to bugs, the timing of their voice and plays are off sometimes and doesnt make sense. With a possible patch in the future, this game has potential to shine well above the rest. Bottomline though, it's a very fun and competitive game. Practice offline and see what you can bring online.
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